Forgive
by ashehole
Summary: Three-shot companion ending to Betrayal and Guilty. Can Vanessa forgive the indiscretion Michael committed against her... And will she identify her own best friend as the culprit? AU, pre-Moon Demon
1. Attraction

**Title: Forgive**

**Chapter: Attraction**

**Summary: Ending three-shot to ****Betrayal**** and ****Guilty****. Vanessa now knows that Michael cheated on her, but with whom was it? With Michael lying low, Catty not acting herself, and Vanessa unsure of how to move on and forgive and forget, will these three be able to get back to normal? AU. Read, Review, and Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: No ownership. None at all. Daughters of the Moon solely belongs to Lynne Ewing. ... I only wish that I could own Chris. :D ... Dear Santa, all I want for Christmas is Chrysippus.**

Catty was terrified. There was a strong, sick tightening in her gut, one that made her want to run to the bathroom and hug the toilet close to her. She rarely slept anymore, too fearful that her best friend, Vanessa, would find out. Catty was hiding a disgusting secret, one that kept getting bigger and bigger.

She thought that it was over. It was one time. It was horrible mistake between two horny teenagers in a jeep. Catty wished that she could take it back, to make Vanessa's pain go away.

So, why did she open the door when she saw that it was Michael on the other side? Why did she let him in when he asked if he could? Why did she lead him into her bedroom so that Kendra wouldn't see them? Why _in hell_ did she shut the door?

They stood, slightly awkward, right behind her bedroom door, staring at each other. She felt so weird, and he looked so out of place in her mess of a living space. He scratched his head with a slow, beautiful smile. She tried to smile back, but all she saw was Vanessa, not her sort of ex-boyfriend.

Michael reached for Catty, and Catty reached for Michael, the two of them meeting at a place some could call the middle. What Catty thought it was more or less fell in the category of "end". Their mouths met in passion, fiery and wild. It was like what they had started before hadn't quite finished or died out yet. Michael, without the small space of his jeep to inhibit him, crushed Catty's body to his. She readily complied, pushing herself as close to him as humanly possibly, somehow afraid to let him go. Would he disappear if she did?

She needed him right now. He was one half of the cause of her anxiety, but she needed him. They clung to each other like animals, ripping at each other and clinging tightly with no end in sight. The two of them began tripping over themselves as they attempted to walk, tumbling to the edge of her bed with disastrous results. Most of Michael's body was propped up on the floor, his upper torso crushing Catty, who was more on the bed. Still, their mouths remained attached.

It didn't go beyond that. There was no sex involved, but Catty felt dirty. She felt powerless. She felt _attracted_.

"What we did was wrong," she mumbled into Michael's chest. His muscles were hard, sexy, intriguing. He didn't feel anything like Chris.

His hands were pressed against her back, his fingers slowly massaging along her sensitive skin. She arched into it, a reflex really. "I know."

"Why did we let it happen again?"

"Don't fight the attraction."

He rolled over on top of her again, kissing her softly. First her forehead, trailing down and kissing both sides of her face. When his mouth met hers, it was soft and tame. He knew that he had her, and he could take his time now. They were both powerless against one another, and yet they had such power over the other.

**xXxXxXx**

"Do you want to come over tonight?" Michael's voice sent thrills through her body. It was two days after he came to her house.

She grinned to herself, glad that he couldn't see her through the phone. Surprisingly, Catty was the one who had the cool and reasonable head in this affair. These new responsibilities that she was taking on was so new to her, so _real_. It fucking sucked. "I don't think that I should."

"Why not? We'll have fun," he promised her.

He was so unlike Michael, and she was so unlike Catty. She could only assume that it was attributed to the two of them together. They fed off each other's aura, taking it in to themselves. Maybe, in another life, they might have been absolutely perfect for each other. In a strange way, it was like they were made to fit.

The only problem was... Michael was Vanessa's. He wasn't Catty's. He could never be Catty's. She was playing against the Fates' hands, trying to take him for her own benefit. And the cost of her twisting the story to her own advantage? She would lose Vanessa. Plain and simple. She knew that. She kept repeating it to herself. It was quite evident that Vanessa could forgive Michael for what he did, but not if she actually knew that it was her own _best friend_ that was with him.

"Fine. But not at your place. Let's go to the park instead. Nobody will see us in the park when it's dark."

He agreed to pick her up.

So, if she knew that she was going to lose Vanessa if anybody found out, why did she continue to make out with disaster as though it was perfectly okay?

**xXxXxXx**

Vanessa curled up to Catty, comforted by her presence as they laughed at a movie. They were taking a day off, a day off from boy drama and Daughter drama, separating themselves from Jimena and Serena.

"I still love him, you know."

Catty glanced at her friend, her unexpected words startling her. "I know that you do." She winced at her own words. _Of course Vanessa loves him. And Michael loves her_. Catty glanced away, feeling a harsh pang of hurt crawl through her body. She definitely didn't love Michael, but she wanted to be with him. His heart belonged to Vanessa, as she always knew it did.

"How do I get him back, Catty?" Vanessa turned her blue eyes on her friend's wary face, misjudging her look as one of questioning. "You think I shouldn't take him back."

"I didn't say that, Vanessa."

"I can forgive him, Catty. I know that I can. I'm hurt, I'm angry, but I can forgive."

Catty let a wry smile twist her mouth. Vanessa's words rang completely false in her ears. Vanessa believed that she could forgive, because that's who she thought that she was.


	2. Redemption

**Title: Forgive**

**Chapter: Redemption**

**Summary: Ending three-shot to ****Betrayal**** and ****Guilty****. Vanessa now knows that Michael cheated on her, but with whom was it? With Michael lying low, Catty not acting herself, and Vanessa unsure of how to move on and forgive and forget, will these three be able to get back to normal? AU. Read, Review, and Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: No ownership. None at all. Daughters of the Moon solely belongs to Lynne Ewing. ... I only wish that I could own Chris. :D ... Dear Santa, all I want for Christmas is Chrysippus.**

She was strong and independent. That was how she was raised. She always had her own, separate opinion and a different way of doing things. That was how Kendra had raised. And she seemed to have grown up pretty well. Sure, she was wild sometimes. She cut school, she acted impulsively, which was incredibly obvious to her.

Catty just didn't seem to be able to pull herself away from Michael. He wasn't her type. It was flashing in her face. Not. Her. Type. Not. Her. Type. That didn't stop her insane rush of hormones when she thought of him, or heard him, or was staring straight into his face.

At the same time, on the other side of their crazy dalliance, she knew when to stop. They didn't remove their clothes; that was her idea. No removed clothes meant no sex. She could see it in his eyes, when she felt strong enough to face her end, how much he wanted her. She could only imagine what a wild cat he hid underneath his perfect persona. Ripped clothes and nips along sensitive skin. That's what she imagined as she closed her eyes and held her hands against his chest as her mouth formed the words her body hated her for.

She was a Daughter of the Moon, for Christ's sake. She was powerful, amazing, _dea_. She faced Followers, and lost the love of her life to the destiny that laid before her. Perhaps Chris would come back. She should hold hope to that he would return, not hold Michael to her. Chris. Not Michael. Vanessa. Not Michael.

"I can't do this anymore."

"Are you sure?" Michael asked her, his teeth bright between his beautiful and sensual lips as his smile made her ache.

"No." She tilted her head at him, smiling back. You couldn't not smile when Michael smiled. It was a terrible, wonderful lure. He had a built-in mechanism to attract and reel in. "But we need to."

"If you feel that it's best, I'll agree with you, Catty." He reached for her hand, and she let him take it.

"It was fun while it lasted, though. It's time we go back to who we are," Catty told him, slowly pulling her hand away from his.

"What if this _is_ who we are, Catty?" Michael questioned.

"I don't believe that." She sighed as she stood up. "Let's just forget it all happened and move on."

**xXxXxXx**

Vanessa watched him in school, still debating with herself whether she should approach him or wait for him to come to her. Her eyes kept wandering over to him during her lunch period. She would stare down at her untouched food, then her eyes would search him out, locking on to him when he came into view. She'd stare sadly before quickly looking away. She didn't want Michael to know that she was desperate for him to come back. He needed to want her back on his own.

"Why don't you just go talk to him already?" Catty laughed, tired of the not-so-secret looks her friend was shooting at her somewhat ex.

"I can't do that!" Vanessa exclaimed, looking horrified at the thought. "You go talk to him."

"He's _your_ boyfriend," Catty reminded her. Serena, Jimena, and Tianna chose that moment to walk up. Serena and Tianna slid in on both sides of Catty at the table, while Jimena sat across from her and next to Vanessa.

"Vanessa... Just go talk to him already, _chica_. You are bumming the rest of us out," Jimena told her.

Serena nodded, sending a shooting glance in Catty's direction. The brunette clamped down any incriminating thoughts she might have had. Catty smiled in return, hoping that Serena was deflected from searching her thoughts. Why would she even look at...

_Michael!_

The telepath dipped her head and brought it back up to normal position, as though nodding in time to Catty's thought. Catty's stomach tightened painfully as she realized her mistake. Serena knew what Catty had done because Michael didn't know about them, so he couldn't hide his thoughts from Serena.

"I'm sure what happened between you two was a mistake," Tianna said to their friend, her dazzling smile making a table of guys sitting next to them sigh openly. Jimena turned to glare at them until they left the table.

"I guess so. I'm not perfect or anything. I've made mistakes, too, but at least I broke it off with him before moving on to... More disgusting things," Vanessa groaned, a shiver shaking her shoulders as she remembered Toby.

"Hey, Catty. Come up with me to get something to drink," Serena said to her, already standing up.

Catty shook her head. "No thanks. I'm not thirsty."

_It wasn't an option_, Serena thought at her, letting her words hammer loudly in Catty's mind.

Frowning, Catty stood up, following her. Serena led her outside,rather than to the drink machines, and Catty knew that this wasn't going to turn out well.

"Serena..."

"Catty, how could you?" Serena's green eyes flashed dangerously as she spun on her friend. She was enraged, and Catty felt like the worst person in the world.

"I don't know, Serena! It just... happened," she finished lamely. It sounded more right in her head, but it didn't seem to work out that way at all. That was the same stupid excuse Catty had been giving herself every time she tried to figure the whole thing out. The excuse was merely that, and it wouldn't work with Serena.

"I could understand that first time. But over and over again?"

"I can't explain why I did it," Catty answered firmly. "It happened. And I feel awful about it."

Serena sighed, reaching out to pull her friend into a hug. "I know. I feel that. What you did was wrong, Catty. On many levels."

Closing her eyes, Catty leaned into Serena, holding on tightly to her. "What do I do? How do I fix this?"

"Are you going to tell Vanessa what happened?"

"Are you crazy?"

Smirking, Serena pulled away from Catty, obviously disappointed in the answer she got in return. "You aren't going to tell her what happened?"

"No. Do you think that I should?" Catty asked her, doubting her stance. Maybe if she did tell Vanessa, she would feel better about herself. She would probably lose Vanessa... No, _no_. That _was not_ an option.

"Yes, you should. But you aren't," Serena sighed, her disappointment coloring her words darkly. "I can't believe you."

"How can I redeem myself without letting Vanessa know?" Catty wanted to know. There was no option such as letting the real truth be known. Vanessa was ready to let Michael back in; Knowing the truth would just devastate the poor blonde.

"If you won't tell her—"

Catty interrupted. "You better not tell her, either, Serena. If I want Vanessa to know, either I will tell her, or Michael. And I doubt he would want her to know either. Can't I just get them back together? Wouldn't that make things better?"

"Nothing's ever going to make things better, Catty. Look at what you did!" Serena backed away from her, the cloud of disappointment in her eyes still bright, but Catty could see her starting to cool off.

"Do you hate me, Serena?" Catty wanted to know if she had also ruined her friendship with the other Daughter.

"No, Catty, I don't hate you. We all mistakes. It's part of being human."

"I can't tell her, Serena. Vanessa can't know," Catty mumbled softly.

"Okay. I won't tell her, and you're right. Michael won't tell her either. If you want your redemption, get them back together. It's not going to make you feel better about yourself, but it's a start."

"Thank you, Serena." Catty threw her arms around the telepath, hugging her tightly. She could do that; she could get Michael and Vanessa back together with no problems at all. Except maybe that it made her a little bit sick just thinking of being around them after all that happened.


	3. Forgiveness

**Title: Forgive**

**Chapter: Forgiveness**

**Summary: Ending three-shot to Betrayal and Guilty. Vanessa now knows that Michael cheated on her, but with whom was it? With Michael lying low, Catty not acting herself, and Vanessa unsure of how to move on and forgive and forget, will these three be able to get back to normal? AU. Read, Review, and Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: No ownership. None at all. Daughters of the Moon solely belongs to Lynne Ewing. ... I only wish that I could own Chris. :D ... Dear Santa, all I want for Christmas is Chrysippus.**

**AN: Well, here is the final end to Betrayal. This story needed closure. I needed closure, and here it is. Woo! \0/**

"H-hey, Michael," Vanessa greeted, lifting her hand up in a small wave, her smile starting off slow before reaching its full luminosity.

"Hey, Vanessa," Michael responded, his grin just as bright as the girl's.

Catty took a step back, her shoulders slumped in silent defeat. How could she have ever thought her and Michael could have made it together? Vanessa and Michael were perfect. She left the room, leaving the other two behind to sort out their differences.

"I haven't really seen you around lately," Vanessa said, making meaningless small talk. It was uncomfortable. How did she let Catty talk her into meeting Michael for a chat? Of course, she wanted to get back with him, but it was too soon still! Staring at him, she remembered why she had to walk away from him. The hickey was gone, but her memory was seared with its image. Was she just not good enough?

Or was he just not all that she imagined him to be?

"We have fifth period and lunch together," Michael replied to her. That wasn't what she meant. He knew that, but he didn't know what else to say. She hadn't seen him because he had gone underground. She didn't want him around, so he disappeared. Disappeared into the arms of her brunette friend.

Vanessa's smile slid away. "I didn't mean like that. I... I missed you, Michael."

"I missed you, too, Vanessa," he admitted, longing to take her into his arms. It was time to forget all about Catty and focus on the one that he loved. "We admitted it, but what now?"

"I don't know. This is really..."

"Weird?" He supplied for her, and she nodded with a half-smile.

"Exactly. Weird. We've both done some really stupid things, Michael."

"Can you ever forgive me, Vanessa? I never meant for it to happen."

Tilting her head back, Vanessa stared up at the ceiling. It could be seen as a very hard question to answer. Could she forgive him, but not have trust in him? Relationships didn't work like that. They _needed_ trust. But he did betray her. How could she, in good conscience, forgive him but stop trusting him? She could say the word, say she would forgive and forget, but it would be a cruel lie to them both. Eventually... Eventually their relationship, their friendship, would dissolve and become some bitterly twisted story from the pages of their past.

In order for Vanessa to answer him, she needed to be sure that she could trust him. "Who was she, Michael? It's all I want to know. Tell me who she was," she pleaded with him gently.

He looked as though he wouldn't say. He would refuse, and she would realize that she couldn't truly forgive. She prayed that he would just say her name. It would be okay.

"In order for us to move forward, do you absolutely need to know who it was, Vanessa?"

"Yes." Her body, her heart, her _soul_, ached to know who had tempted him. "I need to know who, Michael. Please."

"It was Morgan. I can't make any apologies for it. I can't make any excuses, either. We all know how Morgan is, and yet... I'm sorry, Vanessa."

_Morgan_. _It would be Morgan... _"She always had a thing for you..." Vanessa whispered. Strangely enough, knowing the identity didn't make her feel any better at all. In fact, she felt just as terrible as she did before he told her. The truth was not a healing force, apparently.

"She always had a thing for anyone. Morgan doesn't know how to keep her legs closed," Michael retorted bitterly, and Vanessa felt herself fall even further.

"Did... Did you..." She licked her lips slowly, tears beginning to wet her face as she struggled to say the words. Once you began setting out for truth, you couldn't just _stop_. "Did you have sex with her?"

"No." His hand was stretched out, touching her cheek gently. She allowed him the tiny contact. "I know what I did was wrong, but it never went beyond us making out, Vanessa. I love you. You're the only girl that I want to have sex with. When we're both ready."

"I love you, too, Michael. It's going to be hard, moving forward," Vanessa confessed, not only to him but to herself as well.

Michael leaned forward, his lips pressed softly against hers in a barely-there kiss. "I understand. Don't forgive me now. Vanessa, I want to win back your trust. We can take it easy until you're ready."

"You can wait?" She asked incredulously. Some part of her still blamed herself for him stepping out on her. Being a Daughter, it was hard to keep track of her normal, everyday life. That included Michael. Maybe she should just forgive him now. It _had_ to have been partially her fault as well.

"I can wait. But I can't wait forever."

"That wouldn't be good for either of us," Vanessa agreed, slowly nodding her head.

"Come on. Give me a smile." He gave her one of his.

She returned it. "Can I have a hug?"

He didn't need to be asked twice. He scooped her up into his arms, and she wrapped hers around his neck, hanging on tightly to him.

"We can fix it, Vanessa."

"I know."

**xXxXxXx**

Catty was leaning against a wall, her arms crossed over her chest. Michael came to stand next to her, adopting her pose along the wall as well. They stared out, at the sky, not even letting so much as a glance pass between each other.

"So..."

"So."

Catty closed her eyes, bidding farewell to a life that never happened and never would. "She forgive you?"

"No, but we're working on it. I told her that it was Morgan."

Catty laughed. "Well, that's believable."

"I'm sorry, too. For what happened."

"Yeah..."

"Catty?"

She felt compelled by his voice. She turned her head to the side, looking at him. She would have to face him anyway. After all, he was her best friend's boyfriend. "Michael?"

"Thank you..."

She smiled, nodding as she turned her head straight again. Her lids closed slowly over her brown eyes. It was like a sweet release. They were letting go. She had never felt happier... Or emptier.

"Friends?" She held out her hand to him. He took it in his own, pumping it up and down a few times in agreement.

"Always."

Catty knew that she would have to work on not only forgiving herself now, but also on worming out a way for her best friend to forgive her as well. Somehow. Some way.


End file.
